Probably should have called it sodium thiopental, since that’s its actual name, but whatevs.

Anyway, it sorta works/sorta doesn’t work. Its main use is to make subjects more pliable since its effects are very similar to alcohol. It being a barbiturate. But you can still totally lie under it just like you can still totally lie while drunk. You just might be less likely to since it breaks down inhibitions. I’m pretty sure it’s illegal to use on people to gain confessions anyway. Also a breach of medical ethics.

There are prisons that hand out the death sentence with a high dosage of sodium pentothal, though. Sometimes it’s merely used to place the prisoner into a coma before other drugs are injected, or it can be used all by its lonesome. Whether that’s ethical or humane is definitely debatable, and I’m not going to get into that at all.

Discussion (43) ¬

I just popped over to look at comments, and HOLY COW a new page!! Life is good. I like the flow of the first four panels a lot; it gives the impression of some quick, dramatic scene cutting. Nice. Double update week is awesome. :D

Good lord, the pacing on this page is just lovely. I personally love the talky-plot-bits myself. Doing prelim scripting for my own comic, I found it has a LOT of talky-plot-bits. . . I suppose that’s worried me a little, but seeing your handling of these parts has really been inspiring. I doff my hat to you for making a comic that is not only fun to read, but inspiring. And a bonus update? Gosh, a gal can’t ask for anything more.

I was worried the good doctor would go all medieval on Schtein and he would be submitted to some horrible torture. I didn’t know he would actually do his job! Nice restraint, and nice character development!

It’s not a reaction of the eye, it is a reaction of the brain. Pot won’t give him red eyes, but anything that affects his brains eye control will affect his eyes, as he is able to use them like real eyes. They don’t have to be organic for that.

It’s a common medical test. It is used frequently by medics to detect concussions and cops to detect drug influence. In Schteins case, it also can be used to check if his implant eyes are wired correctly.

So I just started reading this comic today, and I went from the begging of chapter 1 all the way here in one sitting. And now of course I’ve fallen deeply and hysterically in love with it. Can’t wait for the next one!

Ah, this reminds me of the good old Dr. Krutz in Carnage Mind bomb comic.
Though, his injection was a bit more aggressive on his target, and his target being carnage was a million times more dangerous. If this is in any way a hommage(or a rip off) it’s very well done.

The first 5 panels are really nice. The way they get bigger gives a sense of increasing time per frame, that is, that time is speeding up while still presenting more information.
And you have to love the wind on panel 4, establishes patches as badass for what he might do next.

Something I just realized: The doctor is shining a light in Schtein’s eyes to test his pupil dilation in response to the drugs…. but do he crazy robot eyes come with movable pupils? I always got the impression they were robotic, and such a feature wouldn’t be included.

even if his eyes were fully robotic the workings of them are controlled largely the same way normal eyes are. Why build eyes that aren’t controlled by the same neural impulses that regular eyes would be? And drug induced mydriasis is a thing that happens because of recepters in your brain being blocked, not so much muscles directly being effected.

Also: I keep coming back to this and trying to figure out how to interpret Schtein’s reactions/response there. Everyone else seems to think the last panel is the truth, and my first impression was that he was about to admit he did regret it, realized he was going to and stopped himself, and then deliberately chose the “ignore self-preservation in favor of being a trolly little shit” option.

I know I say this constantly, but I really want to steal your talent ;[ I saw one of your earlier comics and it’s really amazing how quickly your style has progressed :D
I love Schtein’s expression in the 6th panel. :] soooo goood